Monday, September 8, 2014

Interview with Thriller Author Michael Segedy

Interview Between Me and Michael Segedy 


Me: Where did you get the idea for your book?

Michael: I have been interested for sometime in the mind of the serial killer, in particular the mind of the serial killer driven to commit murder to satisfy some twisted part of his libido while at the same time using his religious convictions to justify his acts, seeing them somehow as sanctimonious and serving God's greater plan. At the same time, I've noticed how countries can engage in serial killing behavior motivated by a similar sanctimonious conviction, though not libidinal, is every bit as feverish and irrational. Certainly, one aim of the novel is to show the danger and madness in such holier than thou stances that attempt to justify horrible acts of murder.

Me: Who are your favorite characters in your book and why?

Michael: My favorite characters are, of course, my principal ones. Rick Clark the FBI agent tasked to solve the serial killings becomes personally involved with the murder of people dear to him while not having recovered from recent traumas. The pressure he is under to find the killer and resolve the mystery surrounding their deaths overwhelms him to the point of despair and gains our deep sympathy. The psychopaths behind the killings both repulse and attract, which makes them favorite characters as well. I believe that as we are drawn into the details of their former lives, we come to understand the forces that have helped shape them. My two principal female characters, Marty and Neva, are no less my favorite characters. In fact, I find their personalities are arguably stronger and more heroic than their male counterpart.

Me: What themes does your book present?

Michael: There is definitely the theme of justice. Though not all of the characters are treated fairly by fate and circumstance, overall the novel ends with the feeling that the wicked will not go unpunished, not as long as there are people in the world willing to make the necessary personal sacrifices it takes to see that justice is served. At the same, there is this moral tension, in particular reflected in the thoughts of the Rick Clark, who has grave doubts about the universe having moral order. In the final analysis, he believes that if it doesn't, it is nonetheless our responsibility as fragile human beings to impose some semblance of it. 

I believe like any good novel, it is a mistake to see the work as having one or two themes. Certainly there are a number of other underlying themes in most decent works of fiction. In Sanctimonious Serial Killers, there are various themes: political corruption, false righteousness, malignant nationalism or racism, the power of love to overcome cultural and religious bias, and  the dangers of narrow religious views and blind religious and political dogmatism.

Me: How many books do you have in this series?

Michael: I've written three novels that have FBI agent Rick Clark as the major protagonist. Each book shows how events in his life begin to transform his world view and personal and professional behavior. He is certainly not your stereotypical federal agent. He has too many scars and has become privy to too many government machinations to be blinded by nationalism or non-reflective patriotism.

Me: What makes you choose to write thrillers?

Michael: I guess I like novels that contain mystery and suspense, but at the same leave you with something to think about. For that reason, I like John Grisham's, Michael Connelly's and Jo Nesbo's crime novels and thrillers. Apart from developing interesting characters, I enjoy working out plots that contain elements of suspense and a few clever twists and turns. Believable twists and turns. I'm always disappointed when a novel has a non-plausible final chapter (or chapters) that attempts to provide the Big Surprise ending. I also think that writing a thriller or crime novel does not preclude writing literary fiction, though I have a feeling that many readers think of thrillers and crime novels as simply pulp fiction, commercial clap-trap.

Me: What authors influence your writing?

Michael: I believe some of my literary influences have been Sherwood Anderson, John Steinbeck, Mark Twain, John Salinger, and Kurt Vonnegut. As far as thrillers or crime fiction are concerned, probably Michael Connelly, Jo Nesbo, and John Grisham. 

Me: How many books have you written?

Michael: Gee, have to think about that. Six novels and two small books about literature. 

Me: What makes your book different from other thrillers or crime novels?

Michael: Perhaps philosophical and political elements. Also, I think that I tend to have more central characters than most novels, instead of one or two protagonists telling everything from their viewpoint. Often the minor characters become as instrumental in telling the story as the major. Our Darker Angel is a clear example of this. In this novel, there are no fewer than six characters unfolding the story.


Excerpt from Sanctimonious Serial Killers



He opened up a deletion program he had used in the past. It would nuke any white space on the drive, which meant it would write over the files he had turned to zeroes. All he had to do now was click on the mouse button.

Still, he hesitated. Something inside him was holding him back. Maybe it was some rebellious sentiment lingering from his youth. From his college days, when he believed that the world could be a better place.

If he hit the nuke button, nothing would change. He could be assured of that. The relatively small number of people in the government who had been setting foreign policy based on greed and self-interest would continue to do so. The American public would never know that a small group of individuals had usurped powers belonging to the president and the congress, and ultimately to the people. Like the public, our elected leaders would remain in the dark when it came to making informed decisions about corporate power and foreign policy. We’d never learn how our intelligence services aided and abetted the slaughter of dozens of women and children in order to kill a couple of terrorists. And the rush to war in Yemen? We would never see what was really behind it. But we would see over and over again on TV the images of dead bodies from nerve gas attacks by the rebel regime, while we listened to the pundits egging us on to support the Yemeni regime.

Jeremy’s index finger pressed the nuke button, and he watched as the files disappeared forever. It had come down to a simple choice between his life and everybody else’s. His life and the fourth estate. An either/or decision. Either him or everyone else. Either his life or his country’s best interests. But, like he’d told himself, he was no martyr.


Author Bio



Michael Segedy is an award winning author. Over the years he has lived abroad in faraway places such as Taiwan, Israel, Morocco, and Peru. His life overseas has inspired him to write thrillers that include scenes set in foreign lands. Many of his works have won recognition in prestigious international book awards contests.


Link to Book 
He can be reached at  msegedy@gmail.com